finally saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Great performance from the cast, especially Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o.
However, there is a huge void in the film without the late Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther”, who sadly passed away two years ago at the age of 46.
And how I wish Michael B. Jordan had more than just a guest appearance! Michael is a heart grabber any day. He was also looking forward to seeing more of Daniel Kaluuya after his unforgettable role in the first Black Panther movie.
The costumes and special effects are also magnificent. The kingdom of Talokan, situated below the Atlantic Ocean, is out of this world.
However, while some people may think that Bankolé’s Isaac’s lip ring is a welcome expression of a Maasai cultural artifact, I did not find it amusing or wholesome. It doesn’t even allow you to talk fast. They should have put that horrible thing in the mouth of a Kenyan actor instead of an Ivorian! Well, someone said that Wakanda is another name for Kenya.
Defects
Also, given the chance, I would delete several scenes and shots, including the ones from the sleepy market. The sound effects are award-winning; the one that got me hooked was the beating of the drum as the spear was driven into the ground.
Also, my forgiving spirit was not comfortable allowing Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) to get away with killing our lovely Queen Ramonda (played so beautifully by the luscious Angela Bassett).
Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) simply should have put that fiery spear into her heart as she lies helpless on the sandy beach. Reason: the cataclysm she caused in our beloved Wakanda when she came seeking revenge for the death of her daughter was too much to bear.
The alliance that he is forced to consummate with Wakanda is false because he tells his cousin that it is a ploy to buy the time he needs to conquer the terrestrial world, our world. That means he’s not there to form an invincible bulwark against the machinations of those arrogant superpowers.
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The ending is superb. I predict there will be a third part of this film, with the revelation that the late King T’Challa had a child with Nakia before she escaped to Haiti, where the child, Toussaint, and her mother now live. Furthermore, his ancestral name is also T’Challa.
Another basis for looking forward to part 3 is that the fight with Western powers over access to vibranium, Wakanda’s prized possession, has not been resolved, so it will continue. Viewers would like to see where the deadly competition will go under Queen Shuri, as the false alliance with the Talokan kingdom is already doomed.
final verdict
Overall, Wakanda Forever is worth my N6,000 entry fee (I even paid for two other viewers). It doesn’t surprise me that it has earned an impressive approval rating on the most trusted movie scalers: 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.4/10 on IMDb.
Unsurprisingly, African moviegoers have shown their love for it. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made history across the continent by breaking previous box office records.
In Nigeria, it became “the industry’s biggest opening weekend of all time with a box office of £240 million,” the Abuja-based newspaper said. This figure must have tripled as theaters continue to fill up.
Given Nigeria’s position not only as an African big sister, but also as a major player in the global film industry, I had hoped that Marvel Studios would cast Nigerians in prominent roles in this second installment, especially after complaints that our actors They did not appear in the film. first movie in 2018 even though there was a Chibok girls episode. (Someone told me there are Nigerians in the current movie. Who are they? Kamaru Usman, you mean? I asked. No!).
Director Ryan Coogler should have been asked that question when he, along with some of the crew and cast, including Wright, Nyong’o, Gurira, Mejía and Winston Duke, arrived in Lagos on November 6 for the premiere at the “black carpet” of the film: the first official release of African Marvel Studios in Nigeria.
However, my hat is off to the director and his team. With my fists clenched on my chest, I say, “Wakanda forever!”
* Ibrahim Sheme is NOUN’s Director of Media and Advertising
